Either way, the block is a disgrace, according to Helen Hamilton, who spoke at the open forum of the recent meeting of Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council.

In particular, Mrs Hamilton told council, she and many others were concerned that the long grass, higher than waist deep in parts, was a fire hazard.

The open forum sessions are proving a good way to get things done - complaints about street lighting have resulted in at least some of the lights in Parker Street being attended to - and the grass at the old Mitre 10 building was mowed just a few days after Mrs Hamilton made her complaint.

The eyesore problem, however, remains.

And it isn't likely to go away until the block, bounded by Palmer, Adams and Murray Street, is sold and redeveloped. Mrs Hamilton wrote a letter to "Nick", the owner, in late July, but could not find his surname or address from the management of Mitre 10.

However Rebecca Worboys, the store's manager, offered to send the letter to the owner. The letter invited the mystery owner to come and speak with concerned residents, but no reply has been made.

The Herald asked Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council for information, but the council said it was unable to say who was the owner, and referred us to the NSW government for information on zoning. It said there were no current proposals to rezone the property, and that while unsightly land was always an issue, it had "limited powers over dilapidated buildings and untidy sites"

It is rumoured that the council has been interested in acquiring the site for development of units, but the council said any decision could only be made by a resolution of council and could not be delegated to staff.

When addressing council Mrs Hamilton congratulated it on the upgrading of the main street.

"It's starting to look really beautiful, but the effect is ruined by that disgraceful site at the end of it, or the beginning if you're coming from Yass," she said.

The site is for sale, with a price of around one million mooted at one stage. Proposals have included relocating the ambulance station and even a McDonalds.

Mrs Worboys said the business was still paying "an arm and a leg" in rates.

She understood there had been some "hearsay" reports about plans to rezone, which had stopped the owner from selling.

"We got quotes to get it knocked down and it's an enormous amount because there's asbestos in the front building," she said.

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